bailey



INVENTUR jhm ATTORNEYS.

(NoModel.)

J. S. BAILEY.

MAIL BAG.

NQ. 296.910. Patented Apr. l5, 1884.

N. Firms. mxvuihugnphenwamingm. n. c.

Unire rn'rns einen.

PATENT MAIL-BAG.

`SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,910, dated April 15, 1884.

Application tiled February 18, 1884. (No modell i ing is afull, clear, and exact description.

{[his invention relates to certain improvements in mail-bags; and it consists of the construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specihcation, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theligures.

Figurelis asectional elevation of the mouth of the bag, taken on the line ww of Fig. 2, showing the bag closedand locked. Fig. 2is a front view of the upper end of the bag. Fig. 3 is a rear View, showing thehasp raised. Fig. 4. is a sectional plan view taken on the line yy of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a front view of one of the side joints of the frame. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan View taken on the line w a of Fig. 1, and Fig. 7 is a plan Vview of the mailbag frame.

A represents the main leather body of the mail-bag, which body may be of the ordinary or of any approved construction, size, and form. j y

To the upper edges of the body A are secured, by the rivets c, the four Pshaped metallic ribs, B B B B, which are hinged together at their ends, as shown at b b and b b, and constitute the frame of the mail-bag.

Over the upper edge of the body A and over the plates B is wrapped the outer covering-leather, C, which is secured in place by the lower rivets,`c, and upper rivets, d and d', and the said covering-leather O incloses, also, upon the inside of the plates B, the elastic strips or tubes D of soft rubber, which are arranged to come fairly together when the mail-bag is closed, and are of such size as to compress each other, as illustrated inFig. 1, when-the bag is closed, so that by this compression they are caused to make the bag water and dust tight at its mouth. The rivets d', besides serving to hold the outer leather, C, in place, also hold in place upon" the outside of the bag the label-plate E, which is bent at its edges, as shown at c c, Figs. 1 and 2, to receive and hold the metal end labels, F, on which is indicated the route of the maiL bag, as will be understood from Fig. 2.

To one of the joints b of the frame of the bag is secured the plate or shield G, which is formed upon the inner surface with the flugers y g, which serve, when the bag is closed, to brace the plates B, and to grasp or enter small orifices in the inner ends of the labels F for holding them securely in place, as will be understood from Figs. 1 and 6, and upon the upper edge of the shield or .plate G is formed the eye or staple plate f, on which the i hasp-plate H is adapted to be placed and locked by the bolt i of the lock I, entering a suitable recess made in the staple-plate f, or by the padlock J, the bow of which is, passed through the eye ofthe staple-platef, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Attached to the other joint b of the frame of the mail-bag is the plate or shield K, to which the hasp-plate His hinged, and this plate K, like the plate j or shield G, is formed upon the inner surface with the fingers or studs 7c, (shown in Fig. 1,) which serve to brace the frame of the bag when the bag is closed, and thus strengthen the joint. The lock I is attached to the under side of the hasp H, soas to be concealed lwhen the bag is locked, as will be understood from Fig. l.

To the plates B, near the outer hinges b are attached the plates 71., on which the nun1- ber of the bag is formed, as shown in Fig. 5, and upon the staplejloopsjj, which attach the handle Lto the bag, are attached the plates or tablets ZZ, for numbering and dating thc bag.

Then the lock I is used for locking the bag, the bolt i will be operated for unlocking the bag bya suitable key passed through the key hole m, made through the hasp plate H. (Shown in Fig. 3.)

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the jointed frame of a mailbag, of the shield-plate G, attached to one of the center joints of the said frame, and provided with fingers on its inner face for bracing the frame and for holding the labels, as set forth.

2. rlhe combination of the jointed frame of IOO a mail-bag and a suitable hasp, with the shield l gers on its inner face, and with a staple on its G, attached to one of the center joints b of said frame, and formed with a staple-plate, f, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with the jointed frame of amail-bag and a suitable staple, of the plate K, attached to one of the joints b', and formed with the bracing-ngers k on its inner face and the hasp -plate H, hinged to plate, substan tially as set forth.

4. rIhe combination, with the jointed frame of a 1nail-bag and label-holding plate E, on either side of one of the joints b, of the plate G, attached to the said joint b', and provided on its under side withngers g, whereby the said iingers will hold the label firmly within the label-plate, and serve as a brace to the frame, substantially as set forth.

5. rlhe combination ofthe jointed frame of a mail-bag with a plate or shield attached to one of the central joints and formed with finupper end, and a similar plate attached to the opposite joint and formed with fingers on its inner face, and having a hinged hasp on its upper end, whereby when the hinged frame is closed the fingers of the two plates will brace said central jointed portions, and the hasp be made to engage said staple, substantially as set forth.

6. sThe combination of the main leather body A of the bag, metal plates B at the upper edge thereof, and elastic strips or tubes D below the edge, with the outer leather, C, folded to embrace the outer and inner edges Yof the bag and inclose the plates and elastic 

